Burner.



C. A BACKSTROM. DECD.

M. A. BACKSTROM. ADMINISTRATRIX.

BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 1917.

lfifiQASL Patented Apr. 9, 1918. F112 WITNESS INVENTOR.

ib MM/ ATTORN IE Y5.

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CHARLES A. BAGKSTROM, OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA; MARTHA A. BACKSTROM, ADMINISTRATRIX 0F SAID CHARLES A. BACKSTROM, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR T0 PITTSBURG VIATER HEATER COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A GOR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BURNER.

Application filed May 12, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BACK- s'rRoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grafton, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burners, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to burners and has its greatest utility in connection with water heating, wherein the gas is turned on and off intermittently by a thermostat or water valve, although the burner embodying the invention is not limited to use in such rela tions. It has for its primary objects; the provision of a burner in which there will be no continued burning at the gas admission tip after the main gas valve has been closed, and which is simpler and cheaper than those heretofore constructed; the provision of a burner in which the necessity for using the customary gauze or foraminous plate or slotted grid is avoided; and the provision of a burner having no parts requiring replacement or repair such as is the case with a gauze burner. One embodiment of the invention i illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a partial face View and partial longitudinal section through a burner embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the burner removed from the spud on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

In burners as employed in heaters in which the gas is automatically turned on and off, such as water heaters using thermostat and water valve control, it has been the practice to employ a gauze or its equivalent, such as a slotted or perforated plate in order to prevent back firing. This is necessary since, with a gradual turning off of the gas, such as is incident to thermostatic control, the tendency of the flame is to work back into the burner and burn inside the mixing tube. This will also occur, even where a gauze or its equivalent is used, if such gauze becomes broken or cracked, thus giving a larger passageway for the flame to work back. This back firing is disastrous to the proper operation of the burner since Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Serial No. 168,100.

soot is formed inside of the burner by the imperfect combustion. Furthermore, the burner ring upon which the burners are mounted with its supply passage contains a considerable amount of gas after the main gas valve of the heater is closed, so that in case of back firing, the burning at the ends of the burner spuds continues for a considerable time after the gas has been turned off, and may continue until the gas is turned on again, in which case a very extensive combustion occurs inside the burners. This combustion is of course very wasteful, since there is no proper mixture of air and gas, and the burner soon becomes choked by the soot produced. It is the purpose of my invention to provide a simple means which will always prevent back firing and which will avoid the necessity of using a gauze or foraminous plate, since the gauze or foraminous plate is a very considerable item of expense, requiring cleaning and replacement from time to time, and in some cases becoming cracked or broken and permitting theback fire heretofore referred to. The means whereby this object is accomplished will be readily apparent by reference to the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 is the burner or mixer tube and 2 is the burner head, such parts being preferably made in one integral casting and the head being provided with outlet spouts 3, t and 5. The construction of this part of the burner is of small moment in so far as the primary invention is concerned, but is important to note that the invention, doing away with the requirement for a gauze or equivalent guard plate, permits of the use of a very simple unitary casting, such as that illustrated, instead of the multipart burner constructions heretofore required and incident to the use of gauze and other equivalent guard plates.

The lower end of the mixing tube 1 carries the integral collar 6 for fitting over the admission spud, and surrounding this collar 6 are the usual air admission spaces 7 The admission spud 8 is screw-threaded at its lower end for attachment to a burner ring or other supply connection and has an enlarged passage 9 intermediate its ends, the upper end of such passage being closed by -18, preferably made ofaaluminum or .jother =rel-atively :light material. so :that1it will close lightly-andofi'er .only a relatively slight resistance to the upward flow of gas.

By the use of this constructlon, anything but a momentary burnlng inslde the mixlng tube avoided in case the flames should work back through theburner head as the gas is gradually turned on. The instant the gaspressureis ientirely. shut off .by thegas valve thelball 13 seats, and if any gas is burning at the upper end of the spud at this tune, such burning stops, usually with a slightdet'onation, "since the .mixture in the 1 .tube 1 .becomes thinner and-more explosive when .the supply of .gas is cut :off. The force thus produced tends to seat the ball 1-3 still more :firmly. As a result, vany continued tburningat' the upper end of thespud is. pre- @vented .andathe volume of gas in the burner .ring and connecting p pes onthe outlet .sideof the-,-main gasvalve is kept confined by .the vvarious ball check valves on the burners until the. gas is turned on again at ".Wl'LlCh time the ignltion will occur outslde ofthe burner heads.

:It will be seen that the burner. head contains no .smalLpassages to be clogged up by soot-or .dust so thatany occasion for clean- .ing the burner; is slight. Also that the construction is .mucl1 cheaper than: those eml ying a gauzeorequivalent perforated or made-of copper orbrass tand heretofore pointed out, the use of tional expense.

slotted plate. The gauzeior plate is usually which is expensive,

such partsinithe burner head always involves more or less complication "and addi- /The burner is further not subject todetjerioration incident to the usual gauze orother guard ,plate which may crack which .mustbe-removed and cleaned or re- -ditions. Theburn-er fore, not only has avmuch lower cost, but

placed at intervals, under the best of con herein described, there- ;Aseat 12 ;is provided at the 1 opening check valve its cost of maintenance is less and there is no possibilityof back firing and more or less long continued-hur ing inside the, mixing tube as is the case with the old type oi burner employing :thegauze. Other advan- ..tages incident .to my construction will be apparent to those skilled inthe art.

What I claim is.

1. In combination in a burner, an upright admission spud, a relatively light gravity in the spud,.and a mixing tube having air admission means remov- V ably mounted on the spud;

2. In combination in a burner, an upright admission spud externally threaded.- at its lower end for mounting in a burner ring, a relatively light gravity opening'check valve in the spud, and a mixing tube having air 1 admission means relnovably mounted on the spud.

3. In combinatlon in a burner,.an upright admisslon spud comprising a hollow body .portion provided with a valve seat-and an outlet plug seated removably onthe upper end of the body portion, a relatively light gravity opening check valve-mounted on the seat, and a mixlng tube mounted on the spud.

l. In comb natlon in a burnelyan upright hollow admission spud having a valve seat therein, an aluminum ball upon said seat, and a mixing tuberemovably mounted on the spud.

5. In combination in a burner, an upright hollow admission spud having a valve seat therein, an outlet plug removably mounted at the upper end of the spud,.an aluminum ball upon said seat, and a mixing tube removably mounted "on the spud.

6. In combination in a burner, a mixing tube, a gas admission tube, and a gravity closing ball check valve of aluminum in the gas admission tube.

7. A spud for a bunsen burner'screwthreaded at its lower end and having a valve seat, an aluminum check valve on'the seat, and a cap removably mounted on the spud.

CHARLES A. BACK STROM.

fiepieeot.thienatentmay heobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oilatents,

" Washington, D. 0'. 

